Indicator for vacant theater seats



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W. L. GUERIN INDICATOR FOR VACANT THEATER SEATS Filed Dec. 23, 1921 Patented July 10, 1923.

@FFECE WILEBED L. GUERIN, OI NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOE OF ONE-HALF TO MOBINVILLE J. GUERIN, JR, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

INDICATOR FOR VACANT THEATER SEATS.

Application filed December 23, 1921. Serial No. 524,431.

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, Winrnm L. GUERIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indica-tors for Vacant Theater Seats; and I do hereby declare the vfollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a means for indicating the vacant seats in atheater, and has for its object to provide a mechanism which will be comparatively inexpensive to construct and more eflicient in use than those heretofore proposed.

With these and other objects in veiw, the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combinations of parts more fully hereinafter-disclosed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which like numerals designate like parts in all the views: I

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of the outside of an indicator made in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a partially sectional view of the parts shown in Figure 1, illustrating the interior mechanism;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a perspective view partially broken away, of two of the conducting bars forming a portion of the circuits; r- Figure 5' is a perspective view of a portion of the contact closing members;

Figure 6 is a detail view illustrating the connection at the lamp sockets; and 1 Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating one of the lamp circuits.

1 indicates any suitable supporting means, preferably of a box like form, 2 a means such as a strap for carrying the box 1 on the person, 3 a battery or other source of current carried'in the box 1, 40m pole of the battery 3, 5 the other pole or terminal of the battery 3, 6 a connection between the terminal 5 and the hinge member 7 on which are pivotally mounted a series of depressible contact members 8 ,9 a plurality of contacts adapted to be pressed upon by the members 8 when circuit is to be made, 10 a plurality of connections from the contacts 9 to the conducting bar 11, one for each contact 9, 12 a plurality of connections from the conducting bar 11 to the return conducting bar 13, and 14 a return wire from the conducting bar 13 to the terminal 4, as shown. The wires 10 lead to the usual contacts for the serles of lamps 16, the sockets of which are in electrical contact with the conducting bar 11, all as will be clear from Figures 4 and 6.

Accordingly, for the particular row ofcircuit closers 8 and contacts 9, the current will flow as follows:

From the terminal 5 of the battery through the wire 6, through the hinge member 7 the depressible contact makers 8, the con- .tacts 9, through the wires 10, through the contacts 17 of the lamp sockets carried by the bar 11 through the wires 12, the return bar 13, the wire 14, and back to the terminal 4 of the battery, all as will be clear from Figures 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7.

In addition to the row of. circuit makers 8, there is a duplicate row of circuit makers 20, provided with a hinge member 21, and each in all respects' a duplicate of the contact makers 8, on hinge member 7; and

current flows from the terminal 5 of the bat tery 3 through the wire 22 to said hinge member 21, through the contact makers 20, through the plurality of contacts 23, through the {WIIGS 24, one for each contact 23, to and through the lamps 25 carried by the bar 30, through the wires 26 to the return conductor 13, and through the wire 14 back to'the terminal 4 of the battery, all in the manner precisely similar to the first mentioned circuit and series of lamps 16.

Each of the contact makers 8 and 20 are provided with a spring 28, see Figure 5, which normally prevents them from making circuit with their corresponding contacts 9 or 23, as the case may be, so that the circuit is normally broken at each circuit maker 8 or 23. On the other hand, each circuit maker 8 and 23 is provided with an insulated right angular extension 29, see Figure 5, which overlies the main body portion of the preceding circuit maker, so that when a circuit maker 8, for example, which may be the second in the row, is depressed, it will not only make circuit at its own second contact 9, but it will also, through the extenindicator carrying; a row 32 to the head of signal with his to sion 23, depress 8, and cause it respondinr" contact both the it and upper series or the same Way, if: three of series its own lamp nunio; numbers two and number in thy 8 is depressed, ll will be lighted, second row of c Now, the row of register, With the box 1, and to sir row of lamps 2 With the row of to show red lights,

The operation of better understood moving picture in for the usher to we vacant Will the Waiting patr finding the vac to the head of ti, trons of such vac to said vacant i circuit The esu l larn patrons or to trons baclr just h This system, her; and espensive ll quires a greater really necessary, closed, however, is greatly taciliwce the usher search 5 the rows seat, to signal the other usher or to lose time in turning to the head of the aisle to inform. the Waiting patrons.

That is to say, "with it wast-es t oi us this new and a row 33 of red lamps r the ushers shoulder or suppv 1Y0 s Waist, the usher down the locates the vacant seats then ing and facing the he signals the also Whether seats or Whether in pairs or tri'pi etc. is to say, suppose that the lights will indi '1 only sin e seats that the white lie 1 i of seats, that is, do the operator or the single seats avail number three in 23, which control th through the series r cause three red l row 33 and the head by more y turnfiler usher or patrons, "vacant, I senara d etc... i to indicate that there three circuit closer makers shining 4 seats vacant in the row or seats rating usher indicates. Should g usher Wish to indicate that there are four single separated seatsiin said row, or in some other row, he would indicate by eta ding opposite or pointin to the row of seats and also would cause our red lights to be lighted in the row of holes 33, by depre in circuit maker number four oil the row Un the other hand, should the operating usher Wish to indicate that pairs of seats or groups of three seats or of four seats are available, in any particular row of seats, he would stand opposite that rou of seats and cause only White lights to appear in the row of holes For example, should he Wish to indicate that pairs of seats or. doublets, are vacant, he would press key number two, in the row of circuit breakers 8, and it would cause two White lights to appear in the row of holes 32. it he wished to indicate a group of three seats together, he would press key member 3 in the row of circuit makers number eight; or a group of four seats he would press nurn tour in the row of circuit makers number 8, etc. in all cases the usher at the head of the aisle would know exactly hree single which th how many persons to conduct to the particu I plurality of separated vacant seats; a second set of elec ric lamps constituting a second signal to designate vacant seats that are not separated from each other; normally open circuits for each lamp and circuit closers provided with means for operating each other and. to close said circuits, whereby upon operating a single circuit closer of said first named signal a plurality of separated vacant seats may be simultaneously indiouted, and by operating a single circuit closer of said last named signal a plurality of seats not separated from each other may be simultaneously indicated.

2. in a vacant seat indicator the combination of a of electric lamps of one color constituting: a means for simultaneously designating a plurality of separated vacant seats; set of electric lamps of another color constituting a means for designating a plurality of vacant seats not sephe spirit of the invention, and

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arated from, each other; a normally open circuit for each lamp; a circuit closer for each circuit; and a pluralit of means associated with said circuit cosers by which upon the operation of a single circuit closer in each set a plurality of lamps in each set may be lighted.

3. In a vacant seat indicator the combination of a set of electric lamps of one color constituting a means for simultaneously designating a plurality of separated vacant seats; a second set of electric lamps of another color constituting a means for designating a plurality of vacant seats not separated from each other; a normally open circuit for each lamp; a pivoted circuit closer for each circuit; and a plurality of ,means comprising overlying extensions associated with said circuit closers by which upon the operation of a single circuit closer in each set a plurality of lamps in each set may be lighted.

4. In a vacant seat indicator the combination of a set of electric lamps constitutinga means for simultaneously designating a plurality of separated vacant seats; a second set of electric lamps constituting a means for designating a plurality of vacant seats not separated from each other; a normally open circuit for each lamp; a circuit closer for each circuit; means for insulating a plurality of said circuit closers from each other; and a plurality of means comprising overlying extensions associated with said circuit closers by which upon the operation of a single circuit closer in each set a plurality of lamps in each set may be lighted.

5. In a vacant seat indicator the combination of a set of electric lamps constituting a means for simultaneously designating a plurality of separated vacant seats; a second set of electric lamps constituting a means for designating a plurality of vacant seats not separated from each other; a normally open circuit-for each lamp; a circuit closer for each circuit; hinge members upon which said circuit closers are pivoted; means for insulating a plurality of said circuit closers in each set from each other; and a plurality of. means comprising extensions adapted to contact with said insulating means associated with said circuit closers by which, upon the operation of a single circuit closer in each set a plurality of lamps in each set may be lighted.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILFRED L. GUERIN. 

